Verdi on the Autobahn

By

Manuela Hoelterhoff

Updated April 24, 2003 12:01 a.m. ET

London/Theater

It may sound like a bizarre contradiction, but the thrilling "Scenes From the Big Picture" has both huge ambition and an exhilarating eye for detail. This glorious new play from 41-year-old Owen McCafferty starts quietly with beautifully placed scenes between pairs of characters one Belfast morning. A teenager confesses to his girlfriend that he cannot swim; a wife yearns for a baby; an elderly couple worry about the shop they run.